Downtime
by Flinx-Lover-JINX
Summary: Elyse has been in love with Kaldur since they were little and is happy to see him again, given that he left Atlantis two months ago to become Aqualad. But just seeing him again doesn't give her the courage to confess her feelings, especially when she believes he loves someone else. My take on the episode Downtime, but with my own OC. One-shot! KaldurXOC


**Downtime **

**One-Shot**

**Poseidonis**

**August 27, 13:00 UTC+2**

I quickly swam through the Conservatory of Sorcery, looking for Garth and Tula. My webbed feet and hands moved in a repetitive fashion as I swam past dozens of other students. I felt my gills on the side of my neck move as I breathed in the water.

"Hey Elyse!" A voice shouted behind me and I turned in time to see my friend La'gaan floating towards me.

"Hey, La'gaan!" I said as I skidded to a stop and turned towards him. "What's up?"

"There's something I thought you should know."

"What?"

"I heard that Kal…" He started but was cut off by a voice.

"Elyse!" I turned around to see one of my fellow atlanteans floating high above us. "Stop wasting time you're late and the queen has been worried."

"Oh right. Sorry." I yelled before turning back to La'gaan. "Sorry La'gaan I have to go I'm really late." I said before dashing off again. I quickly headed towards the training arena and watched as the various colors of the coral around me blurred past. As I swam I reached up and quickly released my dark blue hair from the confines of its tie, making it spray out behind me and float down to my shoulder blades. I looked down towards my clothes and straightened my white bikini top, which tied around my neck, and tightened the black belt around my skin tight white scaled pants. Slowly I touched the tattoo of an eel on my pale stomach, which wrapped around my waist several times before sighing. At this point I had finally reached the arena to see Tula and Garth practicing their magic against each other. With a deep breath I slowed down and floated towards my queen.

"I am sorry Queen Mera I was caught up by…" I started.

"It's alright child. I am used to your lateness my now." Queen Mera said, cutting me off. "Besides I'm glad you got here before he did."

"Before who?" I asked, looking at her curiously.

The queen just smiled at me before turning to Garth, who had landed in front of her. "Your technique is excellent, but your choices remain predictable. Combat sorcery demands… improvisation." She said before looking at the space behind me. "Kaldur'ahm, it's so good to see you."

Once she said this I quickly turned around and my head snapped towards the man swimming up behind me. "Kaldur!" I yelled before dashing forward and slamming the superhero in a hug. Letting out a laugh, I squeezed him tightly with my arms wrapped around his neck.

"It is good to see you too, Elyse." He chuckled wrapping his arms around me. I let go of him and smiled when Tula, Garth and Queen Mera swam up behind us. "My queen I did not mean to interrupt." Kaldur said as he bowed to the queen.

"It is well. I have another class. Will I see you at dinner?" Mera asked him.

"Yes my queen."

"We shall talk then." Queen Mera said before turning and swimming away. I then watched as Tula and Garth greeted Kaldur.

"You look well Kaldur." Tula said hugging him slightly.

"Yes the surface world agrees with you." Garth responded.

"You talk as if I have been gone for years, but it has only been…" Kaldur started.

"Two months." Garth, Tula and I said in unison.

"Two months too long." I mumbled as I hooked my arm with Kaldur's and looked up at him. He turned to look down at me for a second before turning and looking out at the rest of Poseidonis.

"That long, then I must make up for lost time. Tula will you accompany me to dinner tonight at the Palace." Kaldur said turning towards Garth and Tula. The three of us shared a look and I urged with my eyes for Tula to tell him about her and Garth already. "I wish I could invite you as well." Kaldur mumbled placing his hands on Garth's shoulder.

"It's alright I made that choice long ago." Garth said sourly as he looked at Tula.

"What about Elyse?" Tula said looking at me. I looked up at Kaldur to see him looking at me out of the corner of his eye. Once we made eye contact his eyes snapped back towards Tula before speaking.

"The King told me that Elyse had already been invited."

"Really?" Garth asked looking at me.

"Yes, Queen Mera asked me the other day. I'm not sure why though." I mumbled looking down in concentration.

"…We have another class." Tula said after a moment, and my head turned back towards the conversation. "But I will see you tonight." She said before swimming off with Garth. Kaldur and I floated there for several second before I released his arm and spoke.

"So how ya been Mr. Superhero?" I said grinning up at him.

"I have been well. The surface world is very different though and I have missed home."

"Really, is the surface world boring you Aqualad?" I giggled.

"Please don't call me that, I prefer it when you say my name." Kaldur said looking down at my. I felt my face heat up and I turned away before her could see.

"Come on Kaldur, let's swim." I mumbled, grabbing his hand, without facing him, and pulling him along. We swam for a while before Kaldur spoke, breaking through the comfortable silence.

"So you don't have class with the others?" He asked me.

"No, I've been focusing more on my medical magic than my fighting, so I have fewer classes. My heart has always been with medicine, so I thought I'd focus more on that. I never was a fighter." I said with a smile.

"I'm glad you are focused more on the thing you love." Kaldur spoke softly, that I almost didn't hear him. "So how has Ranso been? Have you set the date for the wedding?"

This sentence caused me to stop suddenly and turn towards him, having him almost crash into me. "You mean you didn't hear?" I asked.

"Hear what?"

"Ranso and I are no longer engaged. The arranged marriage has been ended." I said with a smile.

"Really?" He said, and I thought I saw relief pass across his eyes. But I shook off the notion, knowing he would never care for me the way I did for him.

"Yes, Ranso found someone he loved, an old friend of his. The two of us may have been friends forever, both we never loved each other. So we fought our parents on the matter once I learned that Ranso loved someone else. They are the cutest couple I have ever seen and I'm glad to see him so happy, they are to be married next month. Ranso's bride, Marie, and I have become good friends. Since Ranso and I have always seen each other as siblings more that lovers, I have come to think of Marie as a sister." I said fondly. "Now that there is no longer an arranged marriage I may marry someone I love."

"…Have you found someone to love?" Kaldur asked after a minute.

"Yes I have." I said turning around and looking away from him, with my hand over my heart. "But unfortunately I know he will never love me the way I love him."

_"__After all I know you love Tula." _I thought as pain filled my heart_. "And we have only ever been friends, since our younger days. We grew up together after all Kaldur and I couldn't help but fall in love with you. If only you felt the same." _

"Elyse!" a voice yelled out and I turned to see Garth heading my way. I turned towards him and let out a fake smile. "I forgot to tell you that Markan wanted to see you for an extra lesson. Right now."

"Really… OK." I said looking at him weirdly. Quickly I turned back towards Kaldur only to see him looking out at the ocean. "I have to go Kaldur. I'll see you tonight." I mumbled hugging him once more before swimming off, grabbing Garth's forearm and pulling him along.

**(*-*)**

Later on I sat in in between Tula and the opening in the booth we sat in, at dinner with the King and Queen. Across from me Prince Orm was telling us about his newest project but I was too busy picking at my clothing. I was wearing my bikini top but now I had on regular white bikini bottoms, a black see-through dress overtop, which reached my mid-thigh, with a white belt around the waist of my dress. The dress was also tight around my arms, reaching my elbows.

"A gigantic eqintoderm frozen yet still alive, of course at this point our data is quite limited." Prince Orm exuberantly announced.

As the Prince continued to talk I looked over towards Kaldur, only to see him looking at Tula, which shot a pain through my heart. As soon as I saw him his eyes snapped back towards the Prince; he was probably embarrassed at being caught staring at her. I looked at the table with sad eyes when Kaldur spoke towards me and Tula.

"I am considering rejoining you at the conservatory." He whispered to us, making me look at him weirdly; wondering why he would not want to stay on the surface and protect people.

"You realize you left your studies some time ago. Your sorcery skills have not kept pace, you would no longer be in Elyse and Tula's class or Garth's." The queen stated.

"Perhaps I would require a tutor." He said before turning towards me and Tula. I quickly looked away so I wouldn't have to see Kaldur look at Tula with the affection. All of a sudden I felt an elbow gab into my side and I turned to glare at Tula.

She then pulled me close and whispered into my ear, so that no one could hear her. "He wasn't talking about me." She whispered. I flushed and pushed her away before stuffing a piece of food in my mouth, not looking at anyone. I however looked up when King Orin and Queen Mera stood up and held each other.

"We have an announcement." King Orin said, before he and the queen placed their hands over top of the queen's stomach.

I smiled when I finally realized why the queen had been acting strange lately, when Mera said, "I am with child."

Tula and I quickly dashed out of our seat and hugged the Queen at her announcement. "Oh that is wonderful." The two of us said in unison as the Queen returned our hug.

"Congratulations." Kaldur said behind us, grabbing hands with the King. "An heir to the throne at last. Sorry, Prince Orm I didn't mean…"

"No fear Kaldur, no one can be more thrilled at this news than I." The Prince said floating towards his brother.

"Thank you brother. Thanks to you all." King Orin said before kissing the queen.

Once the King and Queen finished Orin turned towards me. "There is another thing. Elyse there is a reason we asked you to be here tonight." I looked at him confused, until the Mera swam towards me and grasped my hands.

"The reason we wanted you here tonight was because me and Orin have something to ask you." The queen started. "You have the most powerful healing sorcery I have ever encountered and I trust you with my life. Including the life of my child. I want to ask you if you would do the honor of being there and helping deliver our child. And to help take care of mine and my child's health."

"My queen I… I would be honored." I said, smiling while she pulled me into a hug.

"Thank you Elyse." The King said from behind us, when all of a sudden a beeping noise went off and the Queen released me.

A voice of one of the King's fellow superheroes came from the symbol on his belt saying, "Superman to Aquaman. League emergency in Tokyo bay, randevu at the Watchtower."

"Acknowledged." Orin said before holding the Queen. "It seems I must take my leave. Swim with me." The king said to Kaldur, who followed him as they swam away. I watched them both from behind as they quickly swam away. Several minutes later Kaldur returned and left with Tula, while I looked on at them felling jealously and sadness fill my heart.

"Elyse." A voice said from behind me and I turned towards the Queen.

"Yes, your majesty." I said not looking at her.

"You should tell him your feelings."

"I-I don't know what…"

"I know you care for him deeply Elyse. I see the pain in your eyes when you see him with Tula or when he is not here in Poseidonis. Both Orin and I have seen the way you look at him." Mera said as I hugged my waist. "We have also seen the way he looks at you."

My head snapped up when I heard this. "What?" I mumbled.

"You believe that he is in love with Tula, but that is not true. Orin and Kaldur'ahm are very close and Orin has talked to him about you. Kaldur loves Tula like a sister, not in the way that he loves you."

Tears gathered in my eyes when she said this, "I wish I could believe you My Queen and forgive me for saying this but you are wrong." I mumbled before turning and swimming away as fast as I could. My mind went blank as I tried to tune out all of my thoughts. I kept swimming and swimming until I crashed into something.

"Elyse." A voice said and I looked up to see Tula, with Kaldur not far behind her. "Is everything all right?" She asked grabbing my shoulders.

"I-I am fine." I sobbed backing away and rubbing my eyes.

"You do not look fine." Kaldur said grabbing my hand, and making me look at him. I shoved him away and opened my mouth to once again say I was fine, when all of a sudden an explosion went off. All three of us turned around and looked to see several parts of the city exploding.

"What is going on?" I shouted looking in fear at the city.

"Come on." Tula yelled, getting over her shock and dashing towards the city followed by Kaldur and me. Kaldur quickly gained speed and swam in front of us, but stopped once he saw what was going on.

"Those are Black Manta's men." I said as I stared at the dozens of black suited men shooting guns at our people. Tula and Kaldur swam forward and headed into battle, attacking the men. I looked above and saw black ships heading towards the city. As the ships started shooting at the city I swam forward and followed Kaldur and Tula into battle. I quickly came upon a group of Black Mantis's men and attacked. The eel tattoo on my stomach glowed as blue whips shot from my hands and smacked the men in front of me into several pieces of debris floating around. I quickly dashed through the fighting, heading straight towards where I knew my queen who be fighting. As I got there Tula shot off her magic and knocked the men attacking our queen away.

I shot off a whip of blue magic towards where Kaldur was fighting, hitting two men away from him. "This attack was precision planned!" I yelled towards Mera, Tula and Kaldur.

"Yes the initial explosions lured the patrols into ambush." Kaldur shouted.

"They will not get away with attacking our people!" I yelled in rage letting out a large blast of blue magic, hitting several of Black Mantis's men at once. Unfortunately this attack drew attention to me and several of the black suited men came at me at once.

"Elyse move!" Kaldur shouted and I looked up in time to see him wrap his magic around a large rock above me and pull it down. I quickly shot off another blast of magic knocking the men closer to the falling debris of the rock, before dashing off towards Kaldur. As fast as I could I swam past him and hit an enemy in the stomach, who was about to sneak up on Kaldur. After hitting him I back up until I was back to back with Kaldur.

"Are you okay?" He said to me.

"I'm fine, but they have to pay." I growled out, letting my anger out, and forgetting about my rule against violence. No one hurt my fellow Atlanteans, ever. I lashed forward and swam towards the queen, to keep her protected, when I heard a scream.

"Garth!" Tula yelled and I turned just in time to see her push Garth out of the way and get hit with a blast.

"Tula!" Garth, Kaldur and I yelled out. Garth grabbed Tula as she fell and Kaldur dashed towards them, while I swam right by them. With a warrior-like scream I lashed my hands out and sent a blue whip out of my hand, to wrap around the attackers body, squeezing him till he screamed. Unfortunately my rage worked against me as I was hit in the arm by a large blast. I screamed as I collapsed slowly fell to the ocean floor, holding my arm in pain.

"Elyse!" Someone yelled out, their voice sounding like it was breaking. A second later Kaldur was by my side. "Elyse! Are you okay?" He asked sounding panicked, as he watched the blood float from my arm into the ocean water. My vision shook as I leaned against him and tried to keep consciousness.

"Just… n-need… a second." I mumbled touching my tattoo and making it glow blue, as the wound on my arm slowly closed up. Shakily standing up, using Kaldur to keep myself up I stumbled forward, feeling the blood lost.

"You shouldn't move." Kaldur demanded holding me.

"I'll be fine. I… need to help Tuls." I mumbled collapsing forward, so that I was leaning on the ground next to Tula. Touching her head I checked to make sure she was okay. Turning to Garth I said, "She'll be fine, don't worry." Before turning to watch the queen let out a huge attack, making a glowing blue octopus like thing wrap around and attack several enemies.

"Surface communications are down. We cannot contact King Orin. Summon more troops to the palace." The Prince said from in front of us.

"The palace was not the only target. I witnessed explosions in sector 1,2,3 and 5." Garth responded.

"What about sector 4?" I asked, grabbing my arm in pain. Kaldur looked up before swimming forward.

"Explosions all over the city, except for where the science center is located, where your giant sea star is secured." Kaldur announced to the Prince.

"Then it is all a diversion, but with the King away I must protect the Queen, and the heir." Prince Orm said.

"I need no protection, GO!" The queen yelled, continuing her attack.

"No Mera if you were to suffer any injury my brother would never forgive me."

"He is right my Queen you can't put your life at risk like this. Even using your magic like this may be putting strain on the heir." I yelled to her.

"Elyse is right my queen, you have to be kept safe. This fight is mine." Kaldur said glaring towards sector 4.

"It is mine too." Garth demanded.

"Your place is with Tula." Kaldur said before turning around and swimming away.

"Kaldur!" I yelled, causing him to turn his head towards me. "Be safe, we can't lose you." He nodded towards me before dashing away.

"He can't do this alone." Garth said holding Tula. I could almost see his inner battle on whether to go help his best friend or stay with the injured women he loved.

"Garth." I growled out, making him look at me in shock. "We have been friend since we were little, you can trust me to look after Tula. Now go and help that stubborn idiot." Garth stared at me for several seconds before placing Tula in my lap and kissing her on the mouth.

"Take care of her." He mumbled to me, kissing my forehead, before swimming after Kaldur. I watched him go and prayed to Poseidon that they would be alright. I couldn't lose two of my best friends, one of them the man that I'd loved since I understood what the word love meant. With a sigh I looked around at all the destruction Black Mantis's and his men had done, before peering down at Tula. Quickly I picked and up and placed right behind the queen, knowing she would be safe there. And with an anger filled growl I dashed out into the fray and attacked, to protect my queen, Tula and the people of Poseidonis.

(*-*)

Later after Black Mantis's and his men had been defeated, I stood with Tula, Garth and Kaldur in front of the king and queen.

"Our city was heavily damaged." King Orin stood with his arm around Mera. "And many Atlanteans were injured, but it could have been far worse. I am grateful to you all."

Prince Orm held up a small glass case filled with a strange substance. "This contains all that survived of the sea star, it is already regenerating. The creature requires further research but with the dome compromised and the science center in ruins, we cannot safely secure and research it in Atlantis." He said before turning to look at Kaldur then back to the king. "Perhaps the surface world can do better."

"I'm sure they will be eager to try. Kaldur."

"Call me Aqualad my king." Kaldur said bowing to the king Orin. I moved my head to look away from him, once he said this, sad that he wouldn't be staying with us. Once more I looked at him before turning and swimming away. I could feel eyes on me but I didn't care. I just had to get out of there.

(*-*)

I don't know how long I swam before Tula found me, hanging out near the portal I knew Kaldur would be leaving through. Even though I had left earlier, I still had to say goodbye to him. Slowly Tula swam up to me and floated against the wall, like I was.

"Garth and Kaldur are on their way." She said softly to me.

"I know." I murmured.

"… Are you going to tell him your feelings?"

"No."

She quickly dashed in front of me and looked at me like I was crazy, making me flinch away from her. "What do you mean you're no?" She asked me angrily.

"I mean no. There's no point in getting my heart broken."

Just because he's gone a lot doesn't mean you can't be together."

"We can't be together, because he loves someone else." I whispered while Tula recoiled.

"What do you mean in love with someone else?"

"…I thought he told you after dinner? That he was in love with you." I said to her. Tula blinked at me several times, looking like she was a small child trying to understand something. And then Tula did something I didn't expect. She burst out laughing. "Why are you laughing? Just because he's in love with you doesn't mean you can laugh like that. You may find it ridiculous, but…"

"He doesn't love me you jellyfish." She laughed punching me in the arm.

"Of course he loves you. Have you not seen the way he looks at you."

"No, but I've seen the way he looks at _you_!"

I blinked at her several times before I shoved her. "Don't mess around with my feelings Tula. I didn't get mad at the Queen when she did it earlier, but I have a right to not be made fun of."

"I'm not lying!" She shouted, with a smile. "I can't believe you two. I mean come on you guys have been in love with each other for years! And when Kaldur left you were both sad for weeks because you missed each other. You want to know what me and Kaldur'ahm talked about? We talked about you."

"What?"

"Oh Poseidon. Kaldur and I talked about you. As soon as we left the palace he asked about you right away."

"B-but, he loves you whenever I was around you guys, he was always looking at you. Always." I mumbled

"Hello." Tula said knocking her fist on my head. "In case you're forgetting, you always used to hide behind me because you were to shy. We were always next to each other. He wasn't looking at me he was looking at you. All day today he's barely taken his eyes off of you."

"W-when!?" I stuttered.

"When you were holding his arm earlier, at dinner, even during the fight. The only time he looked away from you is when you looked at him. He was afraid you had caught him staring. He loves you Elyse!" She yelled shaking my shoulders.

"Who loves Elyse?" A voice said and Tula and I froze, before turning towards the voice only to see Garth and Kaldur swimming up to them.

"No one!" We shouted at the same time. I looked at Tula before swimming towards the entrance of the portal, followed by the others.

"I guess this is goodbye." Tula said, before hugging Kaldur.

"I will come back eventually." He promised, before grasping Garth and Tula's shoulders. "I wish you good luck."

"You too Kaldur, please stay safe." Garth said smiling at him. As Kaldur's hands slipped from their shoulders, he looked at me from the corner of his eye before looking back at Tula. Tula in return gave him a scathing look before grabbing Garth by the arm and dragging him away.

"What are you doing Tula?" Garth asked, probably wondering why she was dragging him away.

"Kaldur has something to say to say, without us around." She said before turning back and looking at Kaldur. "Come back soon!" She yelled before her and Garth hid around the corner. I could tell that she wasn't going to leave, without knowing if he said what she wanted him to say. Kaldur and I looked at each other for several seconds before I turned away.

"Please be safe Kaldur. You're one of my best friends and I don't know what I'd do if you were hurt." I mumbled before quickly hugging him and floating away. However I was stopped a hand on my wrist.

"Elyse there's something I have to tell you. Tula was right I do have something to tell you. I know that you won't return my feelings but I have to tell you, I have to let you know." He said avoiding my gaze. Hope filled my chest as I put my hands on his cheeks and made him look me in the eye.

"What is it Kaldur?"

After what felt like an eternity of looking into his eyes he spoke. "Ever since we were younger I have been in love with you." Once he said this my heart stopped and my ears filled with roaring. Uncomprehendingly I watched as he lips moved back and forth as he continued to speak. Slowly my hands slipped from his face and I stared at him with wide eyes. He stopped talking at that and looked at me sadly, thinking I didn't love him back. But he was wrong, dead wrong.

Without even realizing what I was doing I lunged for him and wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. As I held my lips against his with my eyes closed I started to worry when he didn't respond. Just as I was about to release him, I felt his one arm come up and bring my closer, making my soft curves press against the hardness of my body. While his other hand reached up and buried itself in my hair pressing me closer. I don't know how long we floated there kissing before we pulled away from each other. Slowly I pressed my forehead against his and finally murmured the words I wanted to say to him for years.

"I love you."


End file.
